Stringed musical instrument



Oct. 17, 1933. G, STOSSEL 1,931,418

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 29, 1930 vezz 361* 6': $lo'ls'selPatented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE in Germany 4 Claims.

This invention relates to stringed instruments of the type which have ashort finger board to be held downwards from the end of the instrumentwhich, on account of the strings being 5 tuned in thirds, requires onlya few (3-5) frets, which suffice for forming chords in various scales.

Instruments of this kind have the disadvantage that it is difficult tostop the strings at the farthest frets with the little finger as quicklyand surely as with the longer fingers of the hand, and this dificulty isovercome by the present invention by moving back the frets with whichthe little finger is used.

This is made possible by the spaces between the frets being made todiminish from the lower to the higher strings, so that the longerfingers can easily control the more extended frets (on the left handside of the finger board), while the little finger can also easilycontrol the frets which are placed nearer together.

This arrangement enables the player to acquire great technique, and isalso a most suitable teaching medium for the small hands of schoolchildren.

On account of this new arrangement of the frets, it is necessary toplacethe bridge obliquely on the instrument. This gives the further advantagethat the lower strings have a normal length while the higher strings areshortened so that they need not be stretched so tightly. To each string,an octave string may be added which will stand the stretching necessaryon account of its shortness.

In the accompanying drawing wherein an approved embodiment of theinvention is illustrated:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved musical instrument.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail diagrammatic view partly broken awayshowing'the arrangement of 40 the strings and frets of the instrument.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 5 indicates the hollowbody of the improved instrument which is tapered toward one end andconnected with the finger board 6 which latter 11s of short length ascompared withthe length of like parts of similar musical instruments as,for instance, banjos and mandolins. The end of the body opposite thefinger board 6 is provided with adjustable pegs 7 to which the strings".8 are secured and by which said strings may be tuned. A bridge piece 4resting on the .top of the body 5 supports the strings 8 in suitablyspaced relation thereto and the ends S of the strings opposite the pegs7 are knotted and secured on the extremity of the finger board 6.

June 7,1929

Unlike such stringed instruments as the guitar and mandolin with whichthe neck and finger board are grasped in the hand with the strings lyingperpendicularly to the fingers, the extremity of the finger board of thepresent musical instrument is adapted to lie in the cupped palm of theleft hand in such manner that the fingers overlie the strings 8 and aredisposed in substantially parallel relation thereto. To increase thecomfort and facility of the use of the instrument the extremity 6a ofthe finger board over which the strings 8 extend is preferably ofsemicylindrical form thus forming a part which may rest in the hand tosupport the instrument when in use. This hand rest, however, unlike theneck of other stringed instruments, lies in a position perpendicular tothe strings and when positioned the cupped hand of the performer, thenatural position of the fingers of the hand bear a substantiallyparallel relation to the strings.

Frets 9 are attached to the finger board 6 and are arranged within reachof the fingers of the hand receiving the rest 6a and in such convergingplanes that the spaces between the frets at the side of the finger boardwhich underlies the little finger are smaller than the spaces betweenthe portions of the frets underlying the index and middle finger.

Tuning of the strings 8 to the desired pitch is effected by the properadjustment of the pegs 7 and the strings at the side of the instrumentwhich are engaged by the middle finger are tuned to the highest pitch ofthe open string range of the instrument and the succeeding strings aretuned, as desired, to a lower pitch.

As above stated, the finger board I) is of relatively short length andthe several frets 9 are so disposed as to fall within easy reach of thefingers of the hand which loosely'clasps the rounded extremity Go.

What I claim is:

1. A musical instrument comprising a body, a finger board carried bysaid body, strings secured to said body and extending over the fingerboard, a hand rest member carried by the outer extremity of said fingerboard and disposed substantially perpendicularly to said strings, andfrets on finger board under said strings ranged w liin reach of thefingers of the players hand when same is positioned on said hand restmember.

2. A musical instrument comprising a body, finger board carried by saidbody, strings secured to said body and extend ng over the finger board,

a hand rest member carried by the outer ex- 1110.

tremity of said finger board and disposed subatantlally perpendicularlyto said strings, and frets on said finger board under said stringsarranged within reach of the fingers of the players hand when same ispositioned on said hand rest member and in planes converging toward oneside or the finger board.

3. A musical instrument comprising a body, a finger board carried bysaid body, strings secured to said body and extending over the fingerboard, a. hand rest member carried by the outer extremity or said fingerboard and disposed substantially perpendicularly to said strings, andfrets on said finger board under said strings arranged within reach ofthe fingers of the player's hand when same is positioned on said handrest member, said hand rest member being constituted by the roundedextremity of the finger board.

4. A musical instrument comprising a body, a finger board carried bysaid body, strings secured to said body and extending over the fingerboard, a hand rest member carried by the outer extremity of said fingerboard and disposed substantially perpendicularly to said strings, andfrets on said finger board under said strings arranged within reach ofthe fingers of the player's hand when same is positioned on said handrest member and in planes converging toward one side of the fingerboard, said hand rest member being constituted by the rounded extremityof the finger board and said strings being extended over said roundedextremity.

GEORG STOSSEL.

